Spanish Granny Smith Apples Expected 2-3 Weeks Early Due Weather Anomalies

The Spanish Granny Smith season is expected to commence 2-3 weeks earlier in 2022 due to weather anomalies. In addition to the frost in April during the first flowering period, Spain is experiencing its second heat wave in less than two months. The frost caused less fruit set during spring flowering which has an unwantedly large fruit size as an effect. In order to achieve commercial sizes, growers will have to pick apples earlier, resulting in the season to start earlier. The heat waves exacerbated the situation and brought the harvest forward even further. The normal start of the season would be the first week of October, but Granny Smith apples are expected on the market as early as middle September.